The Hindu : Sport / Golf : Sorenstam bags fifth LPGA title

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Sep 14, 2004

Sport

Sport - Golf

Sorenstam bags fifth LPGA title

OKLAHOMA, SEPT. 13. Annika Sorenstam was more rejuvenated than rusty after she had taken a month off, ``chilling'' in Lake Tahoe and cleaning up after Florida hurricanes.

The Swedish star won her fifth LPGA Tour title of the year and 53rd overall on Sunday, closing with a 1-under 70 for a four-stroke victory over South Korea's Shi Hyun Ahn in the John Q. Hammons Hotel Classic.

Coming off a victory on Aug. 8 in the European tour's HP Open in Sweden, she finished at 9-under 204 on the Cedar Ridge Country Club course and earned $150,000 for her seventh worldwide title of the year and 65th overall.

Ahn, also second to Sorenstam in the LPGA Championship, closed with a 69. Candie Kung (69) was 3 under, and Mi Hyun Kim (67) and Heather Bowie (69) followed at 2 under.

``The golf course was really hard,'' Ahn said. ``There are a lot of things I did good, but there are more things that I made a mistake on and could be improved.''

Joanne Morley, in the final group with Sorenstam, pulled within a stroke of the lead after opening with two birdies. But the Englishwoman bogeyed five of the next six holes, missing a 3-foot par putt at the third and a 6-footer at the fifth. She finished with a 76 to tie for eighth at even par. While Morley struggled, Sorenstam made a 12-foot birdie putt on the par-3 sixth to increase her lead.

Sorenstam, also the 2002 winner at Tulsa Country Club, opened with a 66 on Friday and added a 69 on Saturday.

``I have been hitting the ball really straight all week,'' Sorenstam said. ``That was the key this week. I had a good feel on the greens. It didn't seem like I had a long break. It seemed like I picked up again and played.'' — AP

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